We are pleased to note that despite the Grand Priory of Zimbabwe being woefully short of members through a significant number who were not being able to return to the country after an international lockdown, the remaining few have managed to hold ‘social distanced’ prayer meetings and also to distribute food parcels to elderly folk.

In line with our centuries-old mandate as Hospitallers, the Western Cape Commandery has allocated significant funding and had a direct hands-on involvement (insofar as legislation allows) to provide desperately-needed humanitarian aid in the form of protective masks and food parcels to people made vulnerable to the pandemic or its devastating backlash on already impoverished communities.

During last March local Authorities asked for help of the Civil Protection Dog Squad Unit (A.V.S.OSLJ), which operates under the sign of the eight- pointed green cross of the Order, to research two missing persons.

The Dog Squad Unit was engaged in two cases. The first event happened in Morengo (near to Bergamo) where a 52 year old man disappeared while the second in Cisliano (near to Milano) where another 82 year old man went missing.